Travel Steps Study Guide 6.9: Creating Footwork Combinations

Creating Footwork Combinations

Using the movements we’ve covered thus far, try sequencing steps and holds into combinations that use all the elements of your footwork vocabulary. 

If you’re interested in a technique exercise, use a coin toss to sequence steps and holds eight count phrases.  Create a chart with 16 columns – one for each beat, and for the “&”s between beats.  Flip for each beat, and write down the move you get.  Assign holds to heads and steps to tails. When you flip two tails in a row, flip again to see how to use them—assign ball-change to heads, two steps in even succession to tails. Flip a third time to see how to use step-ball change or ball-change-step sequences.  Assign “1&2” timing to heads, “1, 2,3” timing to tails.  Add layers and direction variations, either following your fancy or using another random method.  (If this appeals to you, you could create 3x5 cards with variation options, and pull a card from the stack.  You could even print out the appropriate pages of the study guide, cut them into strips with a move on each strip, and then draw strips from a hat.)  Keep in mind that this is primarily a training exercise for improving timing and drilling transitions.  You may end up with combinations that you later “plug in” to dance pieces, but you’ll probably find that you create more interesting dances when you choose movements that specifically interpret the music you’re dancing to.

If you feel overwhelmed or uninspired, try working with a friend or even starting a practice group.  You’re likely to find yourself dancing through a greater variety of movements, and have some fun while building your technical skills. 

If you’re ready to work on musical interpretation, then go to it!  I find that it’s very helpful to diagram my music before I begin dancing.  If you need an example for a music diagram, check out the booklet for my previous DVD, “Beautiful Technique.”  If you prefer to improvise, you may still find that a diagram deepens your understanding of the music you are interpreting.  If diagramming isn’t for you, it certainly isn’t necessary.  Follow the process that’s best for your creative flow.  As you work, remember that not every passage of music calls for locomotor steps.  Now that you have a large vocabulary of travel steps, use them to add dynamic texture to your dance, but don’t forget all of the wonderful isolations that form the core of belly dance vocabulary. 

Happy Travels.

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